How to keep a mummy

Episode 5

Sora and Tazuki are adjusting nicely to their paranormal pets. So this week, How to keep a mummy threw a dragon into the mix. In “Go Away Kindness, Go Away Fear,” the boys' bubbly classmate Motegi encounters a creature whose existence seems laser-focused on fixing her phobia—and maybe somebody else's past trauma as well. As usual the story is simple and sweet, not especially strong on logic, but always pleasant to watch.

Motegi doesn't mind creepy crawlies, but for some unexplained reason, she can't handle lizards at all. So when the spitting image of a miniature Dragonite appears in her home, she goes ballistic. We don't yet know why this dragon is here, but he seems harmless enough. He's also cutely considerate of Motegi's fears. With this bare thread of reasoning, it seems inevitable that Motegi and her dragon will become inseparable. She dubs him Isao (I think the others react with surprise because it's a very ordinary and old-fashioned name), and their bond is formed in record time. Somehow Motegi gets over her phobia of lizards within an afternoon, even allowing him to sit in her backpack (imagine letting a creature that makes you cringe sitting right next to your pencils and books).

While Motegi's ready embrace of Isao doesn't make much sense right now, I suspect that there's a lot more development to come. Even if Motegi has gotten over her fear, there's still the wrinkle of Tazuki's flashback, involving a baby dragon just like this one. Last episode made it pretty clear that Tazuki has some unresolved trauma and a scar on his arm to match. Tazuki has hidden his reaction well for now, but he and Motegi still have some stuff to discuss when it comes to Isao. Even so, there's no doubt in my mind that cuteness will save the day.

Meanwhile, Mii-kun is facing a fear of his own. Lured by the promise of two stories at bedtime, he's staying at home all by himself—without crying—while Sora is at school. Mii-kun remains the heart and soul of this show because How to raise a mummy has nailed his point of view. He loves Sora and wants to do whatever he can to be a Good Mummy. On the other hand, the world is large and frightening to a mummy his size. These two concerns are frequently at odds in Mii-kun's mind. That was the logic behind this episode's Mii-kun system overload, in which his conflicting orders (act like a toy in front of Motegi, greet Sora home from school) lead to a flustered, tearful eruption. In the end he gets along well enough with Isao, because Mii-kun's occasional neuroses are never enough to interrupt a cute inter-species playdate.

Once again, this story arc is not over. Sora reflects on how easily Mii-kun gets lonely, and yet Mii-kun was afraid to be sent back “home” to Egypt. It's not like he can simply read a book about pets to solve that one, any more than Motegi can figure out that Isao likes tofu through anything except trial and error. More answers—and more adorable playtime—surely lie ahead. Like Motegi says, “It's like I'm in a picture book.”

Lupin gets dangerously close to stealing the top spot - but Hinamatsuri can't be denied! See how your favorite shows performed in our weekly user rankings.― Our team of reviewers are following 27 anime series of the Spring 2018 season and readers are rating each episode as the reviews go up. So let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season. Keep in mind that thes...

Steam unceremoniously yanked a bunch of sexy anime games, and the community exploded. PLUS: Kingdom Hearts III, a whole lotta Yakuza and much more!― Hey folks! I'm back after taking a week off. I'm fresh and ready to write about all the hot gaming news going on. Nothing on the Internet blew up in a huge cloud of controversy while I was away, did it? … Oh, goddammit. THE WHOLE HORNY GAMES ON STEAM DE...

Just who wouldn't want to have some exclusive anime goodies delivered right to their doorstep? This month, LootCrate is giving away a FREE 6-month subscription of Loot Anime to ONE LUCKY WINNER!― Just who wouldn't want to have some exclusive anime goodies delivered right to their doorstep? This month, Loot Crate is giving away a FREE 6-month subscription of Loot Anime to ONE LUCKY WINNER! Monthly a...

One reader wants to know why you never seem to see blooper reels for anime voice actors - bad takes can be fun to watch, so how come we never get to see them? Justin gets into it.― Rodolfo asked: I was watching the Panty and Stocking bloopers on youtube and started wondering if there were any original Japanese anime bloopers floating around. I couldn't find any. Not one. So i was wondering, do the ...

The illustrator for Nisio Isin's smash Monogatari novel series talks in-depth about creating the spectacular images that bring the novel series to life.― As the illustrator for Nisio Isin's smash Monogatari novel series, digital artist and photographer VOFAN has earned his reputation as a master at rendering light, creating spectacular images that bring the novel series to life, establishing a worl...

This dungeon-crawling action RPG boasts all the style of Studio Trigger's hit series, but not so much the substance. Todd Ciolek digs into this magical adventure.― It's neither original nor unkind to say that Little Witch Academia stood out on appearances. The series is a charming tale of a misfit at a magical academy, a fantasy staple since well before Harry Potter, but it might not have leapt from...

Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku delivers warm fuzzy romance and anime reference humor in equal measure. Nick and Steve dig into what aspects of this romcom they see in the otaku relationships around them.― Wotakoi: Love is Hard for Otaku delivers warm fuzzy romance and anime reference humor in equal measure. This week, Nick and Steve dig into what aspects of this romcom they see in the otaku relatio...

The adventure continues in this children's mobage adaptation with surprising ambitions. Rebecca Silverman finds out how things develop.― Just because you've achieved your goal doesn't mean that the journey's over. That's the premise behind the second set of Puzzle & Dragons X episodes to be released on DVD. The first thirteen saw Ace work towards his goal of becoming a dragon caller – the show's com...

All the details from Warner Bros' panel at Anime Central, including a look at the first episode of the action fantasy anime Dragon Pilot, coming soon to Netflix!― On Sunday May 20th at Anime Central, a representative of Warner Brothers Japan hosted a panel. During the presentation she provided previews of some upcoming projects and then showed the English subtitled version of the first episode of Dr...

Hinamatsuri and MEGALOBOX duke it out for the top spot! Catch up with our weekly user rankings - and find out how your favorite shows performed!― Our team of reviewers are following 27 anime series of the Spring 2018 season and readers are rating each episode as the reviews go up. So let's have a look at what ANN readers consider the best (and worst) of the season. Keep in mind that these rankings ...

It's another batch of enlightening quickies: small faces, crime in Japan, High School of the Dead and more!― Doc Fraga asked: I have wondered about this for almost 30 years. But what is the meaning of the three finger point "Sign of the devil" hand sign in anime. it's usually seen in Ranma 12 or Urusei Yatsura when someone gets knocked out. The hand-sign often associated with the devil and heavy me...

Paul enjoys a bite-sized, RPG-themed spoof of Koro-sensei's adventures in Assassination Classroom, then breaks down all this week's new anime releases alongside a brand-new Shelf Obsessed!― I got myself a Nintendo Switch last week, and my first impression of the thing was pretty darn positive. I plugged it in, turned it on, put in a game, and started playing. No insanely huge updates to download or...

This slice-of-life comedy delivers an entertaining and occasionally thoughtful package that avoids the seedier pitfalls common to the monster girl genre. Theron Martin digs in.― Riding the current wave of monster girl titles is this manga adaptation from winter 2017, which takes a somewhat unusual approach to the genre. Rather than treating its subject matter as exotic potential love interests, it a...

To celebrate the Fate/stay night [Heaven's Feel] THE MOVIE I. presage flower English Dub premiere, Fathom Events and Aniplex of America are giving away a pair of tickets to 5 lucky winners!― The first film of this high-stakes trilogy explodes with epic action and heart-wrenching drama, tied together by the original author Kinoko Nasu's unique storytelling and otherworldly cast of characters. To cele...